Towel



J. A. RILEY I 2,121,162

TOWEL Filed March 24, 1937 lull J IIIIIIIIIIII Patented June 21, 193% This invention relates to towels and is more particularly directed to large size sheets oi terry cloth or similar moisture absorbing iabrics, such as are used for bath sheets and beach robes and which measure some forty inches by sixty inches. Sheets of this size as heretofore manufactured are very expensive if made of good material, due to the fact that any defect in the weave during manufacture necessitates. the rejection of the large unit.

Although desirable for use in hotels and homes. such large towels are not in general use, not only because of the high initial cost, but also because when such a towel becomes torn or cut in use its value has been practically destroyed, although a large part of the fabric may still be in good condition.

The primary object of my invention is to pro-.

vide a large towel which will be less expensive to manufacture because of reduced losses from defects and a large portion of which can be salvaged for continued first-class use, even though of a towel woven in accordance with the present invention, and l 'ig. 2 is a fragmentary perspectlve view somewhat enlarged, taken along line i-t of Fig. l. i

In the drawing, l designates a body oitowel ing having rectangular sections ii of moisture absol-hing material woven therein. Each moisture absorbing section is of a looped fabric commercially known as terry cloth and is in the form v of a rectangular section completely surrounded by closely woven sections or strips of material from which the loops iorrning the moisture absorbing surface or the terry cloth" are omitted. Thus, strips t of theclosely woven materialor mock selvedge" run longitudinally of the body l at equally spaced intervals and are intersected by equally spaced strips l of similar material woven laterally oi the body. The strips ti and t are oi such weave that it out they will not ravel but may be hemmed or sewed. It will be understood that it is commercially impractical to out the looped fabric known as terry cloth and endeavor to-heni or bind the edge to prevent raveling since the bound edge is thick and cumbersome. V

The present invention makes it economically possible to manufacture and use large towels, since the strips of closely woven material provide a ready means for reduction in size or the towel to eliminate a defectively woven area or a damaged place in the body. The small rectangular sections of moisture absorbing material are made of such size that they may be combined to form standard units such as small bath towels, hand towels, or wash cloths. Each of these, when formed from the large sheet i, will be completely surrounded with a hemmed edge in the usual manner.

Further advantages accrue from the use of th present invention in that, by folding the large towel for storage purposes on the lines defined by the strips 3 andd, the bulk of the towel is considerably reduced so that less storage space is required. Also, the weight of the towel is reduced without seriously impairing its moisture absorbing properties.

it will be seen that while the present invention is simple and economical, it provides very definlte advantages which have heretofore not been available. While it has been described in con-,

nectlon with a towel oi a particular size, it should be appreciated that this description is purely by way of illustration and not of limitation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A complete, finished towel. the obverse and reverse faces of which are the same, all four edges of the towel being finished, ready for use,

said towel having similar rectangular sections of looped, moisture absorbing fabric such as terry cloth" spaced both iaterally'and longitudinally by strips of material from which the loops are omitted, said strips running parallel to the edges of the towel and being suihcientiy wide to permit hemming when the towel is cut to form smaller rectangular units of towelling.

2. A finished towel, the obverse and reverse faces of which 'are the same, surrounded on all four sides by a border of substantially. smooth material which is finished, ready for use, said towel, having substantially rectangular sections of uniform size formed or looped moisture-absorbing fabric such as terry cloth spaced laterally and longitudinally by strips of material from which the loops have been omitted, said strips running parallel to the respective borders of the towel, and being sumclently wide to perrnit hemmuig when the towel is cut, whereby said "terry cloth sections will combine with adjacent Joint A. RILEY.- 

